Voices II Piper's Nightmare
by KitCharmed
Summary: The sequel to Voices (you need to read it first). Piper starts hearing voices too. Is she crazy?
1. The Nightmare Begins

Title: Voices II - Piper's Nightmare  
  
Part: Complete story  
  
Author: Natalie Giardetti  
  
Rating: PG (PG-13 for Chapter 3) Spoilers: References to Apocalypse, Now, The Power Of Two, Awakened and Love Hurts  
  
Genre: I'm not sure. Anyone has any thoughts ?  
  
Archive: Ask my permission first  
  
Feedback: kitcharmed@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own any of these characters (except for the voices) and no profit is intended. This is just for fun.  
  
Author's notes: This fic was written in October 2000 and takes place right after my story Voices. I would also like to mention that I am a French speaker, so if you find grammar or spelling mistakes, I'm really sorry. Oh, and a big thank you to my sister Karine who had the hear me read her the story every time I added something to it.  
  
Voices II -Piper's nightmare  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It is a sunny morning, like there are often in San Francisco. The kind of morning when you tell yourself that everything will be alright, that it's going to be a great day. Unfortunately, it's not always what happens.  
  
It is still pretty early and everything is calm and silent in Halliwell Manor. Everyone is still sleeping, recovering from the last two days. Two days during which Phoebe and Prue were kidnapped by Lucy, They're new apparently crazy neighbor. She wanted to kill them but failed. Then she killed herself in their bathroom. And they still don't know what, exactly, pushed the young woman to do so. Phoebe and Prue agreed that they would never know. They were wrong. They'll soon understand why.  
  
A scream tears the air in the manor, waking up Prue and Phoebe, they run to Piper's room, having recognized her voice.  
  
It is Piper who screamed. She's laying in her bed, agitated, apparently in the middle of a nightmare. Leo is next to her, obviously worried, and tries to wake her up. Because she is still sleeping. Piper Halliwell screamed in her sleep. Leo takes her in his arms, whispering to her to wake up, that it's only a nightmare and that everything's alright. Piper suddenly wakes up and tries to free herself from Leo's grasp.  
  
" Let me go! " she screams, pushing away his hands. " Let me go! "  
  
" Piper, it's alright, it's over. " Leo tries to comfort her.  
  
" No! Let me go!" she screams again. " Go away! "  
  
She manages to get out of his grasp and moves away from him, shaking. That's when Piper finally realizes she really awake and that she's not in danger. She starts crying.  
  
" Oh, Leo, I'm sorry. " she says. " I. I don't know why I. "  
  
" It's okay, Piper. " Leo does as he gets closer to her and gently takes her in his arms. " It's over now. Everything's fine. "  
  
Piper cuddles against her boyfriend, trying to stop her body from shaking. Phoebe and Prue, who watched everything from the doorstep, in silence, not really knowing what to do, enter the room.  
  
" Piper, honey, are you okay? " Phoebe asks, worried.  
  
Piper nods, still unable to talk.  
  
" Is there anything we can do for you? " Prue asks.  
  
This time, Leo is the one who answers.  
  
" A little coffee would be nice for everyone, Prue. "  
  
" Alright. Phoebe and I will wait for you downstairs. " Prue says as she exits with Phoebe.  
  
Left alone with Piper, Leo does his best to comfort her, trying at the same time to push away his own fears and worries. It isn't the first time tonight Piper wakes up from a nightmare. Apparently, always the same. Except that each time, Piper is even more terrified. Every time, he asked her to tell him her nightmare. And every time, all Piper was able to tell him was that Prue, Phoebe and him were dead. This time however, Leo feels Piper remembers more of her nightmare.  
  
When she finally stops shaking, Leo, still holding her, asks " Do you want to talk about it? "  
  
" No. " Piper answers. " I can't, Leo. Not right away. "  
  
" Okay. " Leo does. " When you're ready, Piper. "  
  
" I promise. "  
  
They stay in bed a few more minutes then they get up to join Phoebe and Prue in the kitchen.  
  
When they pass the bathroom, Piper stops. She looks inside and is overcome with shivers as she remembers the voice she heard there last night, the one that told her that her dream wasn't one and that she won't be able to resist. Leo sees her turn pale and wonders what's wrong.  
  
" What's wrong, Piper? " he asks her.  
  
Without answering, Piper takes his hand and clenches it.  
  
" Piper? " Leo does, more and more worried.  
  
Piper still doesn't answer him. That voices, she realizes, she also hears it in her nightmare. Leo, who is starting to be worried for her, and puts his other hand on her arm and says " Piper, look at me. "  
  
This time, the young woman hears him and finally looks away from the bathroom. What Leo sees in her eyes doesn't reassure him.  
  
" What is it? " he asks again.  
  
" I. I. " Piper hesitates.  
  
" You what? " Leo gently encourages her.  
  
" I don't want to go in there. " she says in one breath. " I don't know why, but I don't want to. "  
  
" Okay, we won't go then. " Leo, who isn't sure what just happened, reassures her.  
  
Maybe Piper is only traumatized because she's the one who discovered neighbor Lucy's body in that room. However, he doubts that that's the problem. Piper seemed terrified, not traumatized or sad. It didn't work.  
  
Piper and Leo go down to the kitchen. Prue is waiting for them with two cups of coffee in her hands.  
  
" Are you felling better now, Piper? " she asks her sister.  
  
" Yeah. Thank you, Prue. " Piper answers as she takes the cup from her sister's hand.  
  
Everyone sits around the table.  
  
" You know what you need, Piper? " Phoebe asks.  
  
" What? " Piper asks in return.  
  
" A nice big breakfast! " Phoebe answers as she stands up. " I'll make you eggs and bacon. "  
  
" No! " Piper and Prue react.  
  
" Thank you, Phoebe. " Piper restarts " But I'll take care of it myself. "  
  
" But Piper. " Phoebe starts.  
  
" Don't take it personal, Phoebe. " Prue continues. " But I think Piper doesn't want you to intoxicate Leo and her. "  
  
" Hey! " Phoebe reacts, pretending to hit her sister. " I'm not that bad! "  
  
She looks at Piper and Leo, trying to get their support. Piper takes out the plates, pretending she heard nothing. As for Leo, he tries not to laugh and shrugs, not wanting to make Phoebe angry or to contradict Prue and Piper. Phoebe finally gives up and lets Piper make breakfast. " Besides, " she tells herself " it'll probably help her not to think about her nightmare. "  
  
Prue, her, decides to give Piper a hand. She's still a little upset by what she saw in her sister's room. In fact, it's not as much as the fact that Piper had a nightmare than her reaction as she woke up. Prue never saw Piper like that. But everything seems back to normal now and she tells herself it's not important.  
  
As for Leo, he watches Piper work in the kitchen and chat with her sisters. She seems to be herself again and there's no trace of fear left in her. Leo would like to be able to tell himself it's over but his instinct tells him that it's not. He still chooses not to talk about it now and puts his worries aside to enjoy breakfast. It will still be time to talk about it later.  
  
***  
  
At lunchtime, after the rest of the morning went without any hitch, Piper decides to make sandwiches et and salad. Phoebe offers to help her and Piper accepts, saying that, anyway, it would be hard for her little sister to make bad sandwiches. Leo also offers his help to Piper, who asks him to put the table on while she cuts the salad and Phoebe makes the sandwiches. He accepts and starts putting the plates on the table.  
  
Suddenly, Prue comes up from the basement where she was working on photos in her darkroom and collides with Leo. He drops the glass he was holding and it shatters on the floor. Hearing the noise of broken glass, Piper jumps and quickly turns around, holding her knife as a weapon.  
  
" What's happening?! " she almost yells.  
  
" It's alright, Piper. " Prue answers. " Leo dropped a glass when I bumped into him. "  
  
" What?! " Piper says in voice in which Leo detects fear. " What did you do to him?"  
  
" Piper, I only bumped into him. " Prue answers, not understanding why her sister is asking her such a question.  
  
" Are you okay, Piper? " Leo asks his girlfriend who's still holding her knife defensively.  
  
Piper doesn't answer. She simply glares at Leo then Prue. In her mind, she hears a voice asking her if she's really sure she can believe them. She tries to tell herself that Prue and Leo would never lie to her.  
  
Phoebe, who is still next to Piper, gazes at her sister. What she sees is worrying. Piper is there, almost threatening Leo and Prue with her knife, eyes wide open and full of fear. It seems like she's in a trance. Unable to take anymore, Phoebe holds out her arm and puts her hand on Piper's shoulder. She turns around to Phoebe as if she'd just been attacked. Taken by surprise, Phoebe pushes a little scream and takes a step back.  
  
" Piper! " Leo does at the same time, hoping to bring back the young woman to reality.  
  
Hearing Leo yell her name, Piper seems to get out of her trance. She lowers the knife and lets it fall on the counter as if it were a poisonous snake.  
  
" Oh, my God! I. I'm sorry. " she says as she turns to Leo and Prue.  
  
" Are you okay, Piper? " Prue asks her sister.  
  
" I. I don't know. " Piper answers, seeming to be about to cry.  
  
Leo takes her in his arms. Piper holds him and cries on his shoulder. Long minutes go by. No one dares to speak. Prue and Phoebe pick up the glass shards, exchanging a look every now and then. Something is wrong. They're sure of it.  
  
When Piper stops crying, Leo convinces her to sit on the living room couch. Prue and Phoebe follow them.  
  
" Piper, what happened? " Phoebe finally asks. " That wasn't like you. "  
  
" I don't know, Phoebe. " Piper answers. " I had. I had the feeling. the feeling I was. "  
  
" That you were what? " Leo gently prompts her.  
  
" That I was stuck in my nightmare. " Piper answers in a small voice. " I felt like it was becoming true. "  
  
Phoebe, Prue and Leo exchanges a look. It is obvious to the three of them what nightmare Piper is talking about. Leo, who put his arm around Piper, hugs her a little more while Prue holds her sister's hand and Phoebe comes closer to her.  
  
" Piper " Leo says after a few minutes. " maybe you should tell us about your nightmare. "  
  
Piper nods and starts to explain.  
  
" In my dream, I see you die, all of you. Sometimes, I see. demons kill you. Each time. Each time, demons take your places. They. they pretend they're you and then, they. they try to. they try to. kill me. "  
  
" Oh, Piper. " Prue does as she presses her sister's hand.  
  
She looks at Leo and Phoebe. That explains certain things, like why Piper was afraid of Leo this morning or why she was scared of them sooner. But that doesn't explain why she felt like she was living her nightmare.  
  
" Piper, what made you think you were living your nightmare? " Phoebe asks her.  
  
" I don't know. I think it's. " Piper starts before interrupting herself.  
  
" You think it's what? " Leo asks, reading in her eyes that she wants to add something but doesn't dare to.  
  
" Nothing. " she answers a little too quickly. " I don't know. "  
  
Leo stares at her for a few seconds. " She's lying. " he thinks as she looks away so he won't be able to read in her eyes. " Why? What are you hiding from me, Piper? What scares you so much that you don't want to tell us about it? " Leo is dying to ask her these questions. But he doesn't. He is scared too. Scared of her answer, yes, but also scared she'll lie again.  
  
" Are you sure you don't know, honey? " Phoebe insists.  
  
" Yes. " Piper answers after hesitating after a few seconds. " Maybe I'm just tired. "  
  
" Alright. " Phoebe says, accepting that explanation for now. " In that case, I suggest you don't go to P3 today. "  
  
" But. " Piper protests.  
  
" Phoebe is right. " Prue adds. " You need to rest, Piper. "  
  
" No, it's alright, it's over now. " Piper says. " I'm fine. "  
  
" Piper. " Prue begins.  
  
" Prue, I'm telling you I'm fine. " Piper replies.  
  
Prue and Phoebe give her an unconvinced look.  
  
" You tell them I'm fine." she tells Leo.  
  
" Uh, Piper. I think your sisters are right. " he tells her. " You should stay here and rest a little. It can't hurt you. "  
  
" But I have to open the club. " Piper insists.  
  
" I think your employees can take care of it for one day, Piper. " Prue replies.  
  
Piper looks at them and raises her hands, signaling she surrenders.  
  
" Alright, fine, three against one, I got it. " she says. " You won. "  
  
She turns to Leo.  
  
" You know, " she tells him. " I'm beginning to understand how you feel when we all gang up against you. "  
  
Leo smiles at her.  
  
" Try to remember that next time. " he tells her.  
  
" I'll try but I don't make any promises. " Piper jokes, giving a kiss on Leo's cheek.  
  
Then she gets up and walks to the stairs.  
  
" Wait a minute. " Phoebe calls her. " Where are you going? "  
  
" In my room. " Piper answers turning to her. " To rest. That's what you wanted, isn't it? "  
  
" Fine, have fun. " Phoebe answers back.  
  
Piper rolls her eyes and climbs up the stairs. In truth, it's not only to rest that Piper's going to hide in her bedroom. It's also so she won't have to look in her sisters' and boyfriend's eyes after having so blatantly lied to hem. Piper knows she should have told them about the voice but she didn't have the courage to do it. She is afraid of what it might mean. Piper Halliwell is afraid she's becoming as crazy as Lucy was.  
  
In the living room, Prue, Phoebe and Leo are still sitting on the couch.  
  
" You think she's really better? " Prue asks the other two.  
  
" Seems like it. For now. " Leo answers.  
  
" For now? " Prue asks. " Why are you saying that? "  
  
" Prue, you know as well as I do that something's wrong with Piper. "  
  
Prue bites her lips and nods. She knows Leo is right.  
  
" What do you think is happening to her, Leo? " Phoebe asks.  
  
" I wish I knew, Phoebe. " Leo as he lefts himself fall against the couch's back. " I really wish I knew. "  
  
Phoebe puts her hand out to hold Leo's. She knows how much he loves Piper and how much this must be tearing him up inside. She would like to do something to help him but she knows he won't be better until Piper will. The best she can do is help him figure out what happening to Piper.  
  
" Hey. " she says, searching for his eyes. " Don't worry, Leo. We'll figure it out, you'll see. "  
  
Leo looks at her and tries to smile, but his heart is not in it. He has the bad feeling things will get much worse before they get better.  
  
Meanwhile, in her bedroom, Piper is trying to sleep. But she can't; she's too scared to have another nightmare. The young witch gets up and looks at herself in the mirror. She picks up her hairbrush and begins to brush her long dark hair.  
  
" Why do you think they forced you to stay here? " the voice she is beginning to hate suddenly asks her.  
  
Piper keeps brushing her hair, trying to ignore the voice, telling herself it's only her imagination.  
  
" You think it's because they worry about you? " another voice asks. " You're wrong. "  
  
" It's not them, Piper. " a third voice tells her. " They're the demons who took their places. "  
  
" They don't want you to leave so they can kill you. " the first voice goes on.  
  
" No! " Piper says. " You don't exist. You're a figment of my imagination. "  
  
" You know we're right. " the second voice says. " Think about it. Would Leo really let you come up here alone after what happened? "  
  
Piper closes her eyes.  
  
" Why did Phoebe insist so much to know if you really didn't know why you did that? " the third voice asks. " Because she knows you're beginning to see the truth."  
  
" You must kill them, Piper. " the first voice continues. " You must kill them before they kill you. "  
  
" No! Shut up! " Piper does. " Leave me alone. "  
  
" They killed Prue and Phoebe. They killed Leo. They will kill you. "  
  
" No. " Piper says. " Prue, Phoebe and Leo won't hurt me. "  
  
The voices go on. Piper keeps telling them they are wrong but the voices continue, repeating the same thing over and over. So much so that Piper almost believes them.  
  
Suddenly, unable to take more of this, Piper throws her hairbrush at the mirror, screaming " NO! ".  
  
In the living room, Prue, Phoebe and Leo hear Piper's scream and the sound of shattered glass. They all jump on their feet and run to Piper's room, fearing something happened to her. Leo is the first one to get to the room. What he discovers breaks his heart.  
  
Piper is on her knees, her head buried in her hands, crying her heart out. Shards of mirror are all around her, obviously shattered by her hairbrush which lays in the middle of it all. Silently, Leo nears Piper and takes her in his arms.  
  
" Please, Leo, help me. " she sobs.  
  
" How, Piper? How can I help you? Tell me, please. " Leo presses her, almost crying himself.  
  
" Stop them, please, stop them. "  
  
" Stop who? How, Piper? "  
  
" Make them stop, Leo. Oh, my God, shut them up. "  
  
" Who, Piper, who? " Leo asks again, crying, despaired to see the woman he loves like this.  
  
" The voices. Please, stop the voices. " 


	2. Loosing Control

Chapter 2  
  
Sitting on her bed, Piper is trying to stop shaking. Leo is sitting next to her and she is cuddling against him. She hasn't let him go since he took her in his arms. To Piper, Leo is an anchor. His presence stopped the voices, at least for now. But Piper is still trembling because she knows the voices will come back. And she isn't certain she will be able to resist them for long.  
  
Leo does his best to comfort her but he is pretty upset himself. He guessed Piper wasn't right during the kitchen incident but he never imagined this. When Piper asked him to stop the voices, he felt his heart stop. He now understands what Piper was scared of and he can't help sharing that fear.  
  
Prue and Phoebe are also sitting in the room, hand in hand, tears in their eyes. They can't believe what has happened. Their try to understand how the apparent insanity of Lucy, who heard voices ordering her to kill people, could be transmitted to their sister. They saw with they own eyes what the voices made Lucy do. They absolutely do not want Piper to suffer the same fate.  
  
Prue is the first to break the silence when Piper seems to have regained her composure.  
  
" Are you. Are you better, Piper? "  
  
" No, Prue. " Piper answers. " I am not better. I'm becoming insane! "  
  
" Piper, don't say that. " Leo reacts. " You're not insane. "  
  
" Yes, I am, Leo. " Piper answers. " I'm as crazy as Lucy was. "  
  
" No, I can't believe that. " Phoebe says. " You're not crazy, Piper. It's something else. "  
  
" I hear voices telling me I should kill you. " Piper replies her sister. " Isn't that crazy enough for you?! "  
  
" Stop it! " Leo exclaims. " Phoebe's right. I don't know what's going on but I'll find out, I swear to you. "  
  
" We'll find out. " Prue adds.  
  
" Yeah. " Phoebe agrees. " Trust us. "  
  
Piper looks at Prue, Phoebe and Leo. She can read the love and the worry they have for her in their eyes. She can also read their certainty and determination to find a solution to her predicament.  
  
" You really don't think I'm crazy? " she asks.  
  
" Piper, insanity isn't like the flu, it's not transmitted from one person to another just like that. " Phoebe explains. " If the same thing that happened to Lucy is happening to you, then chances are good it's something else. "  
  
" I didn't have psychology classes. " Prue says. " But I think Phoebe's right. All we have to do is figure out what it is. "  
  
" And how are we gonna do that? " Piper asks.  
  
" Well, we have the Book of Shadows and Leo, that should be enough for now." Phoebe answers.  
  
" I think I heard that somewhere before. " Piper does with a small smile as she remembers the time she and Phoebe thought they'd vanquished Prue at the same time they vanquished a demon.  
  
" Yeah, well, I was right that time, wasn't I? " Phoebe reacts, happy to have at least made her sister smile.  
  
" If you say so. " Piper answers. " What do we do now? "  
  
" We find out what's happening to you, Piper. " Leo answers hugging her a little. Prue stands up and claps her hands with a determined look.  
  
" Alright. Here's what we're gonna do. " she announces. " Phoebe, go get the Book Of Shadows and meet us downstairs with it and we'll look in it. Piper, you'll have to tell us what exactly the voices are like so we know what we're looking for. Do you think you can do that? "  
  
" Yes. " Piper answers. " Anything to get rid of them. "  
  
" Okay. " Prue continues. " Meanwhile, Leo, you should go 'up there' and see if the Elders have any idea what is going on. "  
  
" Yeah, sure. " Leo accepts, willing to do anything to rid Piper of the voices.  
  
She isn't sure she wants Leo to leave right away but she says nothing, afraid to worry him even more.  
  
" Okay, let's go. " Phoebe says as she gets up to go get the Book of Shadows in the attic while the others go downstairs.  
  
A few seconds later, Phoebe joins them in the parlor, Book of Shadows in hand, and sits in front of Piper, next to Prue. Without waiting, she opens the book and starts searching. At the same moment, Prue looks at Leo, sitting next to Piper, and tells him " Maybe you should go see them right away to gain time. "  
  
The whitelighter nods and gives a kiss on Piper's cheek.  
  
" I'll be back soon, Piper. " he reassures her as he starts orbing.  
  
Suddenly overcome by fear, Piper grasps Leo's hand.  
  
" No! " she does.  
  
Leo stops orbing, worried, thinking Piper is once again prey to the voices.  
  
" What's wrong? " he asks her.  
  
" Don't go, Leo, please. " Piper asks of him. " Stay with me. "  
  
" Piper, he has to go see them to. " Prue starts.  
  
" I know, Prue." Piper says, still holding Leo's hand to keep him from leaving.  
  
Common sense tells her she should let him go, if only to put all chances on her side. But Piper doesn't care about common sense right now. Especially since her instinct tells her that if Leo leaves now, the voices could come back.  
  
" I know you should go, Leo." Piper starts again turning to him. " But I don't want you to. I need you to stay here with me. I need you. "  
  
" Piper. " Leo does.  
  
He reaches out with his other hand and caresses his beloved's cheek. She is afraid. She doesn't have to tell him, he knows it. Gently, he brings her closer to him and hugs her.  
  
" Alright, honey, I'll stay. " he finally says, kissing her on the side of her head. " I'll stay here while you look in the Book of Shadows and we figure out what this is. "  
  
" And if we don't figure it out? " Phoebe asks, raising her eyes from the book.  
  
" We'll figure it out, Phoebe. " Leo assures her.  
  
" But what will happen if we don't figure it out? " Prue wants to know.  
  
" I don't think that will happen. But if it does, I'll go see them then. Okay? "  
  
The girls all nod and Phoebe and Prue both bend over the Book of Shadows.  
  
After some time, Phoebe realizes Prue and her will waste a lot of time searching like this, without really knowing what they should be looking for.  
  
" Piper, could you describe the voices to us a little? " she asks her sister.  
  
" I can try. " Piper answers. " There are three of them actually. They're like. like. " Piper shakes her head, unable to find the words to describe the voices. " I don't know. Like normal voices, I guess. "  
  
" There's really nothing else that hit you about them? " Prue inquires.  
  
" No, not really. " Piper answers. " No, wait. " she adds. " There may be something. "  
  
" What? " Phoebe asks.  
  
" I don't know if its really important, though. " Piper says.  
  
" If it hit you, it probably is. " Leo tells her. " What is it? "  
  
" Well, they always talked one after the other, never together. " Piper explains. " As if each one completed what the other said. "  
  
" Okay, if I understood well, we're looking for three voices who speak in your mind, one after the other. " Prue says, having the impression they don't have much information.  
  
That isn't lost to Piper, who feels discouraged. She'd like to be able to give them more information but she doesn't have any to give. She feels they'll never be able to find out where these voices came from. As these dark thoughts go through her mind, the little courage her sisters and Leo managed to give her starts to melt away and, slowly, fear and despair take it's place.  
  
Prue and Phoebe are too taken by their search in the Book of Shadows to notice the change in their sister's morale. For Leo, however, it doesn't go unnoticed. He sees in it Piper's eyes, of course, but also in the rest of her body. She curls up a little. She holds him a little tighter. He knows that the smallness of the information she gave them caused this. And the more Prue and Phoebe turn the book's pages without finding anything, the more Piper's morale lowers. Leo feels his own morale lower at the same time; he hates seeing Piper like this. He has to do something, if only to give back a little hope to his girlfriend. " There has to be something else I can ask that may help in the search. " he thinks.  
  
" Piper, what effect does it have when the voices speak to you? " he finally asks her.  
  
Piper looks at him without understanding.  
  
" What do you mean? " she asks him.  
  
" How does it feel? "  
  
The young woman is silent for a few seconds, thinking about the question before answering.  
  
" At first, it was like someone else was with me in the room, whispering in my ear. " she answers.  
  
" And after that? " he asks.  
  
" Now, it's more like they're in my head. You know, like when you talk to yourself. Except that I know it's not my voice. And the more they speak, the more I believe them, as if they were hypnotizing me or something. "  
  
" As if they were making your resistance weaker? " Leo asks her.  
  
" Yes, exactly. " Piper answers, surprised he has guessed it. " Why, does it remind you of something? "  
  
" Honestly, I'm not sure. " Leo tells her. " I have the feeling I heard about this before but I don't know when or why. Maybe another whitelighter had to deal with this. "  
  
" Or maybe you heard insane people tell you how they feel. " Piper darkly says, looking at her feet.  
  
Unable to bear the unusual pessimism of the young woman, Leo moves Piper's chin so she has no choice to look him in the eyes.  
  
" Piper, stop it. " he tells her in a firm voice. " You're not crazy and you know it. Stop putting a negative spin on everything. "  
  
" Putting a negative spin on everything?! " Piper reacts. " Damn it, Leo! I hear voices telling me to kill you and you want me to think positive?! That's stupid! "  
  
Prue raises her head as she hears Piper's tirade, wondering what happened to make her sister say that. Leo, him, can't believe it. He knows Piper has a tendency to dramatize certain things, but calling him stupid. It's simply not like her.  
  
" I'm not asking you to act as if everything was fine, Piper. " he says. " I'm only asking that you don't make things worse than they already are. "  
  
Piper gives Leo a glum look, without speaking. It is obvious, however, that she's dying to reply something to Leo. Like Prue, Leo notices her attitude and knows Piper is about to let her anger explode.  
  
" I understand how you feel, Piper. " he tells her. " But. "  
  
" No. " Piper cuts him. " You don't understand, Leo. You don't understand at all! " She pushes back his hand. " None of you understand! "  
  
Leo, seeing that Piper is beginning to get angry, tries to get closer to her. He reaches with his hand to touch her arm. Which is unfortunate for him. The instant his arm touches Piper's arm, she pushes him back, jumps up and screams " Leave me alone! Don't touch me, Leo! "  
  
Piper's scream makes Phoebe, who had until now be absorbed in her search in the Book of Shadows and ignoring Piper and Leo's conversation, jump. She thought that Piper had been dramatizing things one again. That is obviously not what is happening  
  
" Calm down, Piper. " Prue says, opening her mouth for the first time since the beginning of the fight.  
  
" I'll calm down when I'll feel like it, Prue! " Piper replies. " Don't get involved in this. "  
  
Prue opens her mouth but, unable to find the words to calm her sister, she closes it without saying anything.  
  
" Piper, we're only trying to help you. " Leo tries to calm her as he stands up.  
  
" Yeah, well, I don't want your help, okay? " Piper snipes as she looks at him.  
  
" Come on, Piper. " Phoebe tries to convince her.  
  
" No, you can't help me, anyway. No one can. " she states.  
  
" That's not true, Piper. We can help you. You just have to give us some time." Leo tells her as he takes a step toward her.  
  
But Piper also refuses this attempt and takes a step back, walking away from Leo who stop, unsure what to do now. Prue and Phoebe are speechless. None of them know what to do and they stay there, helpless, watching their sister with worry.  
  
" Stop lying to yourself, Leo Wyatt. " Piper spits out. " You can't help me: you don't even know what's going on. "  
  
Leo receives these words like a shot through his heart. The words were delivered in a cold voice and the look that accompanies them is of ice. He feels a shiver down his back. It isn't Piper who said those words. Not his Piper, anyway. It's impossible. The voices came back, he realizes, and they're the ones making Piper act like this.  
  
Prue, who just had a similar reflection, feels bad for Leo. He definitively doesn't deserve to hear this, she believes.  
  
" Piper, you're not being fair. " Prue accuses her sister.  
  
" That's it, go on, defend him. " Piper replies to her. " It doesn't surprise me."  
  
Prue looks at her sister, surprised. She wasn't expecting that answer at all. She looks at Phoebe, who is as surprised as she is.  
  
" Wait a minute, Piper. " the youngest Halliwell sister says. " Leo and Prue are only worried about you. You have no right to. "  
  
" That's it, gang up against me. " Piper reacts. " That's what you've been waiting for since the beginning, isn't it? "  
  
" What? " Phoebe does, confused.  
  
" I know who you are. " Piper goes on. " I know what you want. You won't have it! "  
  
Leo, who has regained is composure, takes advantage of the fact that Piper's attention is riveted on her sisters to walk to her and grab her with his arms.  
  
" No! Let me go! Let me go! " Piper screams, fighting him.  
  
Seeing her like this breaks his heart but Leo knows he can't let her go if he wants to help her.  
  
" Snap out of it, Piper! " he exclaims himself. " That's not you speaking, it's the voices. You have to regain control of yourself before you do something you'll regret. "  
  
" Let me go! " Piper shrieks, hysterical, still trying to free herself from his grasp.  
  
" Snap out of it, damn it, Piper! " Leo repeats. " Please, you're stronger than them. "  
  
" No! " Piper screams as she succeeds to push back his arms.  
  
She tries to push Leo back but he resists. He tries to catch Piper's hand. She's quicker than she is and, crazy with rage and fear, she punches him on the jaw. Taken by surprise, Leo looses his balance because of the impact and Piper falls with him. Prue and Phoebe only have time to scream before Piper and Leo touch the floor, Leo's head hitting on the coffee table as Piper falls on him.  
  
Before her sisters have time to react, Piper quickly stands back up, taking back a few steps ,and brings her hands to her mouth, eyes wide open, horrified.  
  
" Oh, Leo. " she says, unable to believe what she just did.  
  
Phoebe runs to Leo, who's unconscious, while Prue walks to Piper. The latter seems to be back to her old self.  
  
" Piper, are you alright? " Prue asks searching for her sisters eyes, who are stuck on Leo.  
  
" My God, Prue, what did I do? " she asks, near tears.  
  
Prue takes her in her arms, trying to comfort her. Piper lets her do so then she walks away and looks at Phoebe, who is kneeling near Leo.  
  
" Phoebe, is Leo. " Piper begins, unable to end her sentence.  
  
" I think he's waking up. " Phoebe answers as she sees Leo move.  
  
Indeed, Leo is coming to and he slowly stands up, bringing his hand to his head and grimacing in pain.  
  
" Phoebe. " he says as he notices the young woman kneeling near him. " Is Piper. "  
  
" She's fine. " Phoebe reassures him as she points in her sisters direction.  
  
Piper watches Leo stand up, relieved that she didn't seriously hurt her boyfriend.  
  
" Leo, I'm sorry. " she says as she runs to him, teary eyed. " I didn't mean to."  
  
" I know. " Leo comforts her as he hugs her, happy to get back the Piper he knows and loves. " It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you're back in control now, Piper. "  
  
" All these horrible things I said and did. " Piper goes on.  
  
" Shh, it's alright, Piper. You couldn't help it. " Leo said. " The voices made you do that. "  
  
For a few minutes, Leo, Prue and Phoebe apply themselves to tell Piper they're not angry at her. In spite of that, Piper can't take the incident off her mind. The voices were almost stronger than her. It was only when she saw Leo unconscious that she regained control of herself. The next time, she might not be that lucky.  
  
" What's happening to me, damn it?! " Piper suddenly says, exasperated.  
  
" I don't know, Piper. " Prue answers her. " But I think we'd better find the answer soon before the voices come back. "  
  
" Prue is right. " Phoebe adds. " That's why you should go see your bosses right away, Leo. Otherwise, I'm afraid we might run out of time. "  
  
Leo doesn't answer right away. He feels like he's abandoning Piper here. But if he stays, they might never be able to help her.  
  
" Alright, I'll go see them. I swear I'll make it as quick as possible, Piper. " he says as he looks her straight in the eye.  
  
" I know. " her girlfriend answers as she hugs him.  
  
Then Leo moves away and orbs.  
  
" Okay, and now, what do we do? " Piper asks after a long silence.  
  
" Phoebe and I will continue looking in the Book. " Prue answers. " You never know. "  
  
Piper nods as her sisters start searching in the Book. She feels pretty helpless but doesn't see what she can do to help her sisters. Furthermore, she doesn't dare go near them, afraid the voices will come back and force her to hurt them.  
  
After about ten minutes, Piper is tired of sitting there with nothing to do. So she stands up and tells her sisters " I'm getting something to drink in the kitchen. You guys want anything? "  
  
Phoebe and Prue motion they don't and Piper walks to the kitchen. She just set foot in the room when she hears the voices again. " No. " she thinks. " You won't get me this time. "  
  
Piper walks to the cupboard and takes out a glass that she fills with water. All this time, she forces herself to concentrate on her task so she won't hear the voices It seems to work until she sees the knife she left on the counter sooner. Before she has time to realize what she is doing, she picks it up. " No. " Piper thinks again. " Put it down. Put it down on the counter. " But she can't obey her own order.  
  
In the parlor, Prue is beginning to think Piper has been gone for a while.  
  
" Do you think we should check up on her? " Prue asks Phoebe.  
  
" I'm sure she's fine, Prue. " Phoebe answers her. " That being said, I'm still gonna join her because I'm also thirsty, actually. Meanwhile, keep looking in the Book. "  
  
As she enters the kitchen, Phoebe immediately notices Piper standing next to the counter, the knife in her hand.  
  
" Piper? " she does, confused.  
  
" Phoebe. " Piper reacts as she turns to her.  
  
Immediately, Phoebe sees her sister is fighting with all her strength against something invisible. The voices, no doubt. She takes a step toward her, hoping to help her.  
  
" Don't come near me, Phoebe. " Piper warns her. " Please. "  
  
" Come on, Piper. " Phoebe answers. " You. "  
  
" No! Don't come near me. " Piper repeats more loudly and points the knife at her sister. " I don't want to help you. "  
  
" Alright, Piper. " Phoebe softly says. " Put down the knife, okay? "  
  
" Go away, Phoebe. " Piper says between her teeth. " Go away before they make me hurt you. "  
  
" Piper, you're not gonna kill me: you're stronger than them. "  
  
" You don't understand, Phoebe. They're winning. "  
  
" No, I don't believe that. " Phoebe answers as she walks the rest of the distance between Piper and her.  
  
She tries to take the knife out of Piper's hand but her sister strikes at the air between them with it to stop her.  
  
" I don't want to, Phoebe. " Piper says, near tears.  
  
" Piper. "  
  
Phoebe doesn't know what to do. She realizes Piper has only marginal control of herself and that it is thinning every second. And she is armed.  
  
Suddenly, Piper gets tense and attacks, striking with her knife toward Phoebe. But she expected it and kicks Piper's hand, making her drop the weapon. Piper wants to move towards the knife but Phoebe is quicker and she jumps on her sister, making her fall. Piper wriggles under her sister's weight.  
  
" No! "  
  
Piper fights and tries to hit her sister. Prue, alerted by the noise coming out of the kitchen, runs in. She stops dead in her tracks as she sees both her sisters on the floor.  
  
" Phoebe? Piper? " she asks, unable to say anything else.  
  
Phoebe doesn't answer, concentrated as she is on Piper. The latter stops fighting a little.  
  
" No. " she does. " Leave me alone. Go away. Leave me alone. "  
  
Tears fill her eyes and Phoebe realizes her sister's not talking to them.  
  
" Help me, Phoebe. " Piper goes on. " Make them stop. I can't take anymore. "  
  
Phoebe stands up and Piper sits down. Then Phoebe hugs her, crying too. Prue watches her sisters rock each other and is about to join them when she sees a blue light she knows well from the corner of her eyes. Leo is back.  
  
" What happened, Prue? " he asks her.  
  
" I'm not sure. " Prue answers. " It seems she had another attack. "  
  
Leo nods and walks to the other two.  
  
" Piper. " he says as he kneels next to her.  
  
The young woman looks up and sees her. She lets go of Phoebe and takes Leo in her arms. He closes his arms around her and rocks her, like Phoebe did before him.  
  
" I'm sorry, Piper. " he says, his eyes wet. " I'm so sorry. "  
  
For long minutes, Leo and Piper rock each other in silence while Prue and Phoebe watch them, hand in hand, about to cry too. Finally, Piper has no tears left to cry and she progressively calms down. That's when Prue dares to ask: " Leo, did your bosses tell you what they are? "  
  
" They told me to look for the Trions in the Book of Shadows. " Leo answers still holding Piper against him. " That's how the voices are called. "  
  
" Alright. " Prue says. " And Leo? "  
  
" Yeah? "  
  
" Thank you. "  
  
Leo gives her a little smile, meaning by that that he could do no less. He would give anything for Piper to get better.  
  
" Let's look in the Book. " Piper says, finally calmed.  
  
" Piper, are you sure you want to.? " Phoebe asks her.  
  
" Oh yes. And I want us to start right away. "  
  
They all go to the parlor, where Prue left the Book. She picks it up and quickly turns the pages.  
  
" Let's see. " she mutters. " Trions. Trions. Trions. Ah! There! " she announces as she gets at the right page.  
  
" What does it say? " Phoebe inquires.  
  
" Trions. Apparently, they are inseparable demons who enter their victim's mind and make them loose control of themselves By using their greatest fears. "  
  
" That's why they're making Piper believe that we're dead and that demons are replacing us. " Leo says.  
  
" Yes. " Phoebe agrees. " Does it say how they enter their victim? "  
  
" Yes. In fact, their victim is always the first person who finds the body of the preceding victim. They leave the other with his or her last breath and their new victim inhales them without knowing it. "  
  
" And that's exactly what happened. " Piper says. " I'm the one who found Lucy in the bathroom. And now that I think about it, I felt a strange chill when I got near her. "  
  
" That must have been them. " Leo says.  
  
" Does it say how we can vanquish them? " Phoebe wants to know.  
  
" Uh, wait a minute. " Prue answers as she reads the page. " Yes, there's a spell to vanquish them. But we can only use it when they're the most vulnerable, which means. "  
  
The young woman stops, not believing what she just read.  
  
" Which means what, Prue? " Piper asks.  
  
Prue clears her throat and finally answers: " Which means just before they take a new host. "  
  
" Alright, how do we do that? " Piper asks.  
  
Leo looks at Prue. He understands her meaning.  
  
" Piper. " he says, looking at her. " What Prue means is that you can't vanquish them while they're in you. "  
  
" And they can't come out if I'm alive? " Piper asks.  
  
" No. " Leo sadly answers. " If you want to vanquish them, you have to die. " 


	3. The Choice

Chapter 3  
  
" No! No way! " Prue as she enters the living room, angry.  
  
She can't believe that the only way to save Piper from those damned voices is to kill her.  
  
" Prue! " Phoebe calls her as she follows her in the room. " Let me finish at least! "  
  
Prue turns to her youngest sister, still angry.  
  
" I don't care what the rest is, Phoebe! " she exclaims herself. " We won't kill Piper! "  
  
" That's not what I was going to say either. " Phoebe replies.  
  
Prue looks at her without understanding. At the same moment, Leo and Piper also enter the living room. All her discouraged by the situation.  
  
A few minutes sooner, Leo stated that the only way to rid Piper of the voices is for her to die. Of course, the sisters didn't accept that, no more than Leo himself, anyway. Once the initial shock is over, all four of them tried to find another solution, without any success.  
  
A few second sooner, Phoebe finally said: " Apparently, we have no choice. To get the voices out of Piper, we'll have to -"  
  
That's when Prue ran out of the parlor screaming.  
  
" What are you saying, Phoebe? " Prue asks.  
  
" If you'd let me finish, you'd know. " Phoebe replies, a little angry at her sister.  
  
" Tell us now, Phoebe. " Leo intervenes, not wanting to waste time in fighting.  
  
" Okay. " Phoebe accepts, momentarily forgetting her anger. " What I was saying is that we could make the voices believe that Piper is dying.  
  
Phoebe knows what she just said is dangerously close to being insane but since it's the only solution possible (besides killing Piper, which she refuses), she says it anyway. Prue, Piper and Leo keep silent, contemplating Phoebe's suggestion.  
  
" And how do you suggest we do this? " Prue finally asks.  
  
" I don't know. " Phoebe honestly answers. " I haven't thought about it yet. Maybe we could use the same potion we used to get rid of the ghost. "  
  
" Which one. " Prue sarcastically asks.  
  
" The one from Alcatraz. " Phoebe answers. " We could make her drink it and then reanimate her like Andy did for you. "  
  
" That seems like a good idea. " Prue agrees.  
  
Leo, him, doesn't. At first, he hesitates to give his opinion to the girls, knowing what it will imply for Piper. But he is a whitelighter and it is his duty to let the Charmed Ones know when they're wrong.  
  
" No. " he says. " It won't work. "  
  
" And why not, Leo? " Phoebe wants to know.  
  
" Because it's in their victim's last breath that the voices exit. " Leo explains. " To have their last breath, their victim has to die. "  
  
Prue can't understand why Leo wants them so much to understand they have no choice to let Piper die. He should be the first one opposed to Piper's death if he loves her as much as he says.  
  
" Why are you so intent into throwing our ideas away, Leo? " she asks him, slightly angry.  
  
" Maybe because it's is job. " Piper answers, opening her mouth for the first time since she understood how to get rid of the Trions.  
  
Piper fells their gazes on her. She feels they worry and their opposition to her death. Even Leo is opposed to it. She knows him. She knows him well enough to know it. But they have to face reality.  
  
" What are you saying, Piper? " Prue asks, afraid she knows exactly what her sister means.  
  
Piper keeps her mouth shut but looks at her sisters and Leo with a look that speaks for itself. There's only one solution from her problem and she knows it.  
  
" Piper, you. No, we can't do that. " Phoebe reacts stubbornly.  
  
" We can't kill you, Piper. It's. we can't. " Prue adds.  
  
" Prue, you read it yourself and you heard Leo: it's the only way to vanquish them. " Piper counters.  
  
" No. " Phoebe refuses. " There's certainly another way. I'm sure if we keep looking in the Book of Shadows, we'll find something. "  
  
" No. We won't find anything, Phoebe. " Piper says.  
  
" Come on, Piper. " Prue says. " I'm sure Phoebe's right. "  
  
" Damn it, guys! " Piper exclaims. " Don't you think that if there was another way to do this, it would have been written on the same page? "  
  
All this time, Leo is silent. If he doesn't enter the discussion, it's because he doesn't know what to think. A part of him refuses to let Piper die and wants to find another solution. But the other part of him knows Piper is right and that this cannot end any other way than by the death of the one he loves.  
  
Suddenly, Phoebe growls and raises her hands to the sky, discouraged by Piper's attitude, and turns to Leo.  
  
" Leo, will you tell Piper that her death isn't an option? "  
  
Surprised by the question, Leo doesn't know what to say. He looks at Phoebe then Prue and, finally, Piper. The latter crosses her arms and looks at him straight in the eyes. " Tell them the truth, Leo. " he can read in them. He slowly looks away and looks at Prue and Phoebe again. He hesitates still, unable to repeat what he said before, this death sentence for Piper.  
  
" I can't. " he almost whispers.  
  
Prue turns away from Leo's gaze and looks at Piper.  
  
" I won't do it, Piper. " she says. " I won't kill you. You can't force us to do it."  
  
" I know. " Piper answers in a trembling voice. " I had no intention of asking you to do that. I'll do it myself. "  
  
" No! " Phoebe and Prue do at the same time while Leo closes his eyes to keep from crying.  
  
" There has to be a way to keep you alive! " Phoebe exclaims.  
  
" Yes, that we don't vanquish the Trions and that I spend the rest of my life hearing them! " Piper retorts, beginning to lose her calm.  
  
" At least, you'll be alive! " Prue says.  
  
" Yeah, and that way, they'll be able to make me kill you! " Piper screams then turns around and runs up the stairs intending to hide in her bedroom.  
  
Leo moves to follow her but Prue stops him, saying:" what is wrong with you?!"  
  
She's angry, it's obvious. Leo knows why and can even understand her.  
  
" Prue. " he starts.  
  
" Why didn't you say anything? You could've helped us! "  
  
" No, I couldn't, Prue. " Leo tries to explain to her. " And she knew it. "  
  
" You could have tried to convince her that as long as she's alive, we still have a chance of finding a way to save her and to destroy the Trions. " Phoebe tells her.  
  
" Phoebe, even if we looked for years, we wouldn't have found anything. " Leo answers.  
  
" So, you give up, don't you? " Prue says, unbelieving. " And I thought you'd do anything to save her because you love her. "  
  
Leo knows that Prue and Phoebe's anger is only directed toward him because they feel helpless. But Prue's last words hurt, hurt a lot.  
  
" Lord, Prue! Don't you think if I had any hope of finding another way, I'd do everything in my power to save her?! " Leo screams. " I love her, Prue! More than anything. I don't want to lose her now. "  
  
The last words were spoken in a trembling voice. Leo looks at Prue and Phoebe, tears in his eyes, than looks away and climbs the stairs. This time, Prue and Phoebe say nothing. They know they hurt Leo and they feel guilty.  
  
In her bedroom, Piper is laying on her bed and cries. She doesn't hear the fight between her sisters and boyfriend, no more than she hears Leo opening her bedroom door and closing it behind him. He stays next to the door a few seconds then he slowly walks to the bed. Piper finally feels her presence and raises her head to look at him. Silently, Leo climbs on the bed and lays down next to her, hugging her. Piper cuddles against him and cries on his shirt. After a moment, Piper raises her head again and realizes that Leo is also crying.  
  
" I don't want to lose you, Piper. " he whispers in her ear.  
  
Piper closes her eyes as she remembers another time when he spoke those words, in that place between life and death where he finally healed her from the Arroya fever. He gave her back her life and let go of his immortality for her. Since then, Leo got his wings back but Piper never forgot he did loose them for her. If Leo has no solution to offer her, then no one can save her.  
  
" It's not fair, Leo. " she finally tells her guardian angel. " We were finally starting to be happy. "  
  
" I know, Piper. " Leo does holding her tighter.  
  
There is a long silence during which Leo and Piper calm down a little.  
  
" If I die now. " Piper starts.  
  
" Piper. "  
  
" No, let me finish, Leo. If it happens today, at least, we had these moments together. "  
  
" Don't talk like that, Piper. "  
  
" Leo, it's the truth. Unless you found another way. "  
  
Leo doesn't need to answer, Piper knows there is no other way. He simply pushes back the strand of hair on Piper's face then he lets his hand move to her cheek. Gently, he brings her face to his and kisses her.  
  
" We'll have to convince your sisters. " he says when their kiss ends.  
  
" I know. But I also know Prue and Phoebe. They know they have no choice. Give them a little time and they'll convince themselves. "  
  
" And you? Are you really sure this is what you want? "  
  
" Of course not. What I want is that everything goes back the way it was. But that's impossible. And then, and don't want to risk hurting the ones I love. "  
  
Piper doesn't finish her sentence. There is another long moment of silence while Piper and Leo are deep in their thoughts.  
  
" Leo, can I ask you something? " Piper does.  
  
" Anything, Piper. " he answers.  
  
" Stay with me nothing. If this is really the last night of my life, I want to spend it with the man I love. "  
  
" I had no intention to go anywhere, Piper. There's nowhere else I'd rather be tonight. "  
  
Piper smiles at him and kisses him with all the love she has in her heart. Leo kisses her back and, gently, he brings Piper over him, intending not to let her get out of his arms until tomorrow morning.  
  
In the kitchen, Prue is sitting at the table, gazing at her now cooling coffee cup.  
  
After Leo went up after Piper, Phoebe and her stood there, not knowing what to do. Then they both went back to the parlor where the Book of Shadows was still resting. Prue went near it and gave it a long glance. Leo's words still echoed in her head. It reminded her that not so long ago, when her sisters had to choose between saving her or the world. Yes, the stakes were different than today's but the heart of the problem was the same.  
  
Prue then realized that she knew what decision to take from the beginning. Sighing, she closed the book and picked it up to bring it to the attic.  
  
" What are you doing, Prue? " Phoebe asks.  
  
" I'm going to bring the Book back in the attic, Phoebe. " Prue answered her. "We don't need it anymore, I know the spell to vanquish the Trions by heart. "  
  
Phoebe opened her mouth to reply something but she knew her big sister was right. Without a word, she took the Book from Prue's hands and went upstairs. Prue didn't follow her. They both needed some alone time. And so, she went to get a coffee in the kitchen.  
  
She still hasn't touched it. All Prue can do is think. She tries understand how she could've let such a thing happen to Piper. She keeps reliving the last few days in her mind, trying to figure out what she could've done to prevent this.  
  
After a while, Prue starts doubting she made the right decision. Didn't she just sentence her sister to death by choosing not to keep looking in the Book of Shadows? Maybe Phoebe and her could've found something. Maybe she should've forced Leo to go sees his bosses so they could've given them other solutions. Maybe. Maybe.  
  
And the waltz of guilt and regrets go on in Prue's head while her coffee is getting colder in front of her.  
  
Sitting in the corner of the attic, Phoebe is crying. She cries for her sister's life. She also cries because she is angry. Angry towards Prue because she convinced her. Angry towards Leo because he's right, as always. Angry towards Piper because she chose to die. Angry towards the Book of Shadows because it doesn't give them any help. Angry towards life that keeps throwing punches at Piper. But, mostly, angry at herself because, in spite of all her powers, all her knowledge of witchcraft, she can't save her sister.  
  
For the first time in two years, Phoebe regrets her sisters and her are witches. If they weren't, maybe Piper wouldn't have to die today.  
  
Tonight, Phoebe Halliwell, ever the optimist, able to see the good side of everything, of hoping against all hopes, cannot find a single reason to smile. Piper will soon die and she can't do a thing about it. Worse, she'll have to help her to do so.  
  
And Phoebe keeps crying, hidden in a corner of the attic.  
  
A lot later in the night, Piper slowly wakes up. The first thing her senses register is Leo's body next to hers and his arms around her. Piper has a sad smile. Usually, that is all she needs to feel safe, protected from the world. Nothing can get to her when she is in Leo's arms. But not this time. Because this time, evil doesn't come from the outside but from the inside of her.  
  
She finally opens her eyes and watches her angel sleeping next to her. She loves him so much! And the most wonderful is that he loves her in return. How many women can say the same? Piper knows she's lucky. That's what makes what is coming tomorrow so difficult. There are so many things she'd like to say and do with him. But it's too late now.  
  
Slowly, so she won't wake Leo, Piper gets out of his arms. She needs to get up, to go downstairs. She pushes back the sheet covering her and walks to her drawers, looking for her pajama pants, which she puts on. She starts looking in the drawer to find the shirt that go with it when she sees the T- shirt Leo was wearing on the floor next to the bed. Smiling, she closes the drawer and picks it up.  
  
Wearing Leo's T-shirt to sleep or the morning when she wakes up is an habit she picked up since Leo and her got back together. And so, it seems natural to spend her last night wearing it, remembering all the memories that go with this habit.  
  
Before leaving the room, she gently kisses Leo on the cheek. Then she goes to the bathroom.  
  
Then, she goes down to the kitchen and finds Prue, sleeping on the table in front of a cold cup of coffee. Piper looks tenderly at her big sister before picking up the cup and emptying it in the sink. Then, deciding she wants to eat toasts, she takes out the utensils she'll need. That's when the voices come back, trying to force Piper to use her knife to kill Prue in her sleep. Fighting against the Trions, Piper runs out of the kitchen to keep herself from hurting Prue.  
  
At the same instant, In Piper's bedroom, Leo is waking up, hesitating between going back to sleep or waking up completely, until he realizes Piper isn't there. He completely wakes up and takes a look around the room, looking for his girlfriend. Noticing she is absent, he gets out of bed to try to find her. He puts on his pants and tries to find his shirt but there is no trace of his T-shirt. He smiles. Once again, Piper stole his T-shirt from him. Leo puts on his shirt without his T-shirt and exits the room.  
  
Seeing the bathroom door closed, he tells himself that's where Piper went and knocks on the door.  
  
" Piper? " he says in a low voice so he won't wake up Prue and Phoebe.  
  
" Go away, Leo. " Piper answers him. " They're here again. "  
  
" Open the door, Piper. " Leo asks, worried.  
  
" No, I don't want to kill you. "  
  
Suddenly, Leo remembers that Lucy killed herself in this bathroom. " No, not like this! " he thinks. If Piper has to die, he doesn't want her to be alone in the bathroom, terrified she'll hurt the ones she loves.  
  
" Prue! Phoebe! " he screams at the top of his lungs.  
  
Not waiting for an answer, Leo orbs in the bathroom and discovers Piper sitting next to the bath, holding a razor next to her wrist, apparently unable to cut it. Seeing the blue lights that accompany his arrival, Piper tells him: " Leo, no. Go away. "  
  
" No, Piper. Not like this. " Leo says going near her and gently taking the razor from the young woman's hand.  
  
" You don't understand, Leo. " Piper softly protests. " They won't me to kill you. "  
  
" Piper. " Leo does, taking her in his arms.  
  
At the same moment, he hears someone try to open the door then knock violently on it. He then hears Prue's panicked voice.  
  
" Leo? Piper? What's happening? "  
  
" It's alright, Prue. " Leo answers to calm her. " She's fine. "  
  
However, he doesn't move to open the door. Making sure Piper is really fine is his only priority right now.  
  
" I almost did, Leo. " Piper cries. " I almost killed Prue in the kitchen. "  
  
" But you didn't. That's good. "  
  
" I can't do this anymore, Leo. I can't fight against them. I'm tired of it. "  
  
" I know, Piper, I know. " Leo tells her.  
  
" It has to stop now. "  
  
On the other side of the door, Prue and Phoebe, worried, are impatiently waiting for Leo and Piper to open the door. Finally, it opens to let the couple out. They're holding hands and Piper looks determined.  
  
" Go get the spell, guys. " Piper orders as she looks at her sisters.  
  
They look at her, refusing to obey at first. Then, remembering she doesn't really have a choice, Prue tells Piper : " We don't need the Book, Piper. We know the spell by heart. "  
  
Phoebe nods before saying : " You're sure this is what you want? "  
  
Piper nods and presses Leo's hand a little tighter.  
  
" Yes, I'm tired of worrying I'll hurt out. " she states. " Like I said to Leo, it has to end now. "  
  
Without a word, everyone follows Piper in the attic, except for Leo, who goes down to the kitchen to get the object Piper asked him.  
  
In the attic, Piper opens the Book of Shadows at the right page, in case her sisters don't remember the words when the moment comes.  
  
" Piper. " Phoebe begins, a big lump in her throat.  
  
There are so many she would like to tell her sister and so little time to do so.  
  
" Hey, come here. " Piper, who also has a big lump in her throat, does as she brings her little sister in her arms.  
  
That is all Prue needed to join her sisters in their embrace and all three of them start to cry. Piper tries to comfort her sisters by saying: " Tell yourselves that, at least, I'm not going down alone. I'm bringing those stupid demons with me. "  
  
" What are we gonna do without you, Piper? " Prue asks, in tears.  
  
" You two will be fine. You're strong. "  
  
" Not that strong without you. " Phoebe replies.  
  
" Phoebe. " Piper stops, the lump in her throat now making it difficult to speak.  
  
She swallows and goes on.  
  
" Prue, Phoebe. I want you to know. if I had the power to choose my sisters, I would still have chosen the two of you. You're the best sisters someone can have. I love you. "  
  
" Oh, Piper. " Phoebe does.  
  
" We love you too. " Prue says.  
  
The sisters embrace one last time, knowing it is the last time the three of them will be together.  
  
In the meantime, Leo has come back from the kitchen with a knife. That is the object Piper asked him to get. She decided that was probably the quickest way to die. But that still doesn't make things easier for Leo.  
  
When he enters the attic, he sees the sisters together. He watches them silently, waiting for them to finish their good-byes. When Piper steps away from her sisters, he walks to them. Just before he gets to his girlfriend, Prue stops him by putting a hand on his arm.  
  
" Leo, I want you to know, what I said sooner. "  
  
" I know. " he says as he hugs her. " I'm sorry, Prue. For everything. "  
  
Phoebe also goes to hug Leo and says: " We're sorry too, Leo. " Then, they let Leo join Piper.  
  
She watches her boyfriend come to her, tears still running down her cheeks. Without a word, because he cannot speak, Leo gives her the knife. She takes it and bends down to put it near her. Leo also bends down and takes her in his arms.  
  
" It shouldn't end like this, Piper. " he finally says.  
  
" I know, Leo. But I have no choice. "  
  
" I should. I should be able to save you. "  
  
Leo is now crying.  
  
" Not this time, Leo. " Piper cries. " Please, don't blame yourself for this. "  
  
Leo doesn't answer. He may be a whitelighter and know they're doing the right thing, he can't help refusing Piper's death. He now knows what Sam felt when he lost Patty. He takes Piper's face in his hands, trying to imprint her features into his memory for all eternity. Piper tenderly wipes the tears rolling down Leo's cheeks. She brings her face closer to his and they share a long kiss.  
  
" I love you, Leo. " Piper whispers when their lips part.  
  
" I love you too. " Leo answers back.  
  
Then, Piper looks one last time at her sisters, picks up the knife and, closing her eyes, plunges it into her heart. Prue and Phoebe cry their hearts out as Piper lets go of her weapon and falls in Leo's arms.  
  
He is also crying, holding in his arms the woman he loves as her life slips away with every drop of blood that stains her shirt. Leo feels as if his heart as been pierced too. He cannot believe this is how their story ends. Now that she finally came back to him, now that he knows he's the one she loves and not Dan Gordon, he must loose her again. Piper is his soul mate, he is sure of it. And as he watches her die, feeling her breathing getting harder every second, Leo knows a part of him is dying with her. His whole being tells him to use his powers and to save her, but he can't.  
  
" I'm so sorry, Piper. " he whispers to his beloved when he feels the last beats of her heart. " I love you. "  
  
He turns to Prue and Phoebe, who are crying together, and tells them: " Do it, say the spell. "  
  
Prue and Phoebe nod and, holding ands, they say the spell in one voice as Piper draws her last breath. Prue, Phoebe and Leo see a strange mist come out of Piper. It takes three human forms for a few seconds evaporating with a scream of pain.  
  
" I hope it hurts. " Prue whispers before kneeling next to Leo.  
  
Phoebe does the same and both sisters cry near Leo, who is holding Piper's now lifeless body. In tears, the angel raises his eyes to the skies in a silent prayer. " I beg you. " he thinks. " Give me the power to save her. She died for magic, I should have the right to. " He looks at Piper's face and suddenly remembers something she told him just before they left the bathroom. " You know, I heard that the brain can live up to four minutes after a respiratory arrest. " What if.?  
  
" What are you doing, Leo? " Phoebe asks between two sobs when Leo puts Piper on the floor and places his hands over the wound.  
  
He doesn't answer Phoebe. Rather, he concentrates on Piper, knowing there is a slight hope he can save her, but it's still a hope. Before Prue and Phoebe' surprised eyes, Leo's hands start to glow and Piper's wound heals. Suddenly, the long woman takes a deep breath. Eyes wet, Leo slightly holds her up and calls to her.  
  
" Piper? Piper, can you hear me? "  
  
Slowly, she opens her eyes and looks at Leo.  
  
" Leo? " she does. " Am I. Am I dead? "  
  
" No. " Leo smile as he hugs her.  
  
" Did it work? Are the Trions vanquished? "  
  
" Yes, Piper. " Leo answers. " We did it. It's over. "  
  
Piper smiles at him, relieved. Then Prue and Phoebe jump on Leo and her, happy to find their sister alive and free from the voices. 


	4. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
Under the hot afternoon sun, Prue, Phoebe, Piper and Leo are walking on the beach, a picnic basket and beach bags. Finding a spot that it right for them, drops what they're holding and make themselves at ease.  
  
After the horrible day and night she spent, Piper insisted she needed to get out of the house and have fun. Phoebe then suggested that a picnic on the beach would make them all forget those horrors.  
  
During the picnic preparations, Prue told Leo: " There's one thing I don't understand, Leo. If Piper was really dead, how did you save her? "  
  
" When Piper saved me, a little over a year ago, I was also dead. " Leo answers.  
  
Seeing the sisters' perplexed looks, he added: " There are some circumstances when it's right for a whitelighter to heal someone who just died. "  
  
" And who decides of those circumstances? " Phoebe asked.  
  
" 'Them'. In this case, I guess the fact that Piper chose to sacrifice herself to vanquish the demons played in her favor. "  
  
" I'm glad it did. " Piper added, smiling.  
  
After lunch, Phoebe and Prue decide to go in the water, leaving Leo and Piper seated on the towels. Piper watches her sisters, smiling, and laughs when Phoebe starts throwing water at Prue. She turns to Leo and realizes he's holding one of the water guns Phoebe brought with her.  
  
" Don't even think about it, Leo. " she warns him. " Don't do that. "  
  
Leo smiles at her.  
  
" I swear you're gonna regret it if you do that, Leo Wyatt! "  
  
As an answer, Leo presses the trigger and cold water hits Piper in the face. She lets out a scream and tries to take the weapon from Leo's hands. A pursuit ensues and ends in the water, near Phoebe and Prue, who are laughing, when Leo is beaten. by a wave that make him fall. Piper laughs so much that she has tears in her eyes. Leo gets back up and puts his arms around her waist as he smiles.  
  
" It's good to finally see you laugh, Piper. " he says.  
  
" It's good to finally have a reason to laugh, Leo. " Piper answers. " Thank you for making sure that I can still laugh. "  
  
" And I intend to make sure you can laugh for a very long time, Piper. "  
  
And with that, the two lovers kiss under the tender gaze of Phoebe and Prue.  
  
It is a sunny afternoon, like there are often in San Francisco. The kind of morning when you tell yourself that everything will be alright, that it's going to be a great day, filled with promises. The four persons on the beach are smiling: Piper Halliwell is alive and free.  
  
The END 


End file.
